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WHAT'S DOING IN; Dublin

During the past decade, Dublin, once a gloomy, provincial city, has become Europe's darling. The economy is booming, and Dublin now is a regular on lists of top 10 destinations.

Helping to fuel the attraction is the redevelopment of Temple Bar, a once neglected riverside neighborhood that has become the city's new cultural quarter. Artistic venues include the Arthouse, a multimedia center; Temple Bar Music Center; the Ark, a cultural spot for children; the Irish Film Center, and the Gallery of Photography. There are also numerous oversized pubs that attract English bridal parties on weekends. The area, a small network of streets on the south bank of the river just west of O'Connell Bridge, is new and lively but still has the feel of engineered revival.

To experience the more enduring charm that distinguishes the city, stroll through St. Stephen's Green on a Sunday afternoon to see Dubliners at play. Take a walk past brightly painted Georgian doors with fan arches in the Merrion Square area. Stop for a late-afternoon pint at The Palace in Fleet Street or across the river at The Dockers'. Even in Temple Bar it's still possible to drop in on an impromptu session of fiddles and flutes at Oliver St. John Gogarty's.

Dress is casual, attitudes are laid back and smiles are everywhere. Always eager to chat and welcoming to Americans, Dubliners are what travelers will recall long after the sightseeing has faded from memory.

The 126th Kerrygold Horse Show runs Aug. 4 to 8 on the grounds of the Royal Dublin Society, in Ballsbridge, about a mile south of the city center. The Kerrygold show is part of a worldwide competition with numerous international events. It's also a major social occasion, particularly on Aug. 5, Ladies' Day. Showgrounds are open from 9 A.M. to 6:30 P.M. daily. Ticket information: (353-1) 668-0866, fax (353-1) 660-4014. Admission to the showgrounds is $9.10 (at $1.30 to the Irish punt) for adults; $5.20 for children under 16 and senior citizens. Combined family tickets are available. Seats in the main arena, where major competitions take place, are free on Wednesday, $6.50 on Thursday, Saturday and Sunday and $15.60 on Friday.

Hurling, the fastest field game in the world, dates from Celtic times. It is similar to field hockey except that the ball can be hit in the air or on the ground. The All Ireland Hurling Semifinals take place on Aug. 8 and 15 in Croke Park on Jones Road. A limited number of tickets are available the week of the match. Seats in the stands cost $26, and standing room on the terrace costs $13; (353-1) 836-3222.

In Meeting House Square in Temple Bar, outdoor movies are shown on Saturdays through Sept. 4 at 10 P.M., and visiting circus troupes perform on Sundays until early September between 2 and 4 P.M. Call (353-1) 677-2255 for more information.

John B. Keane's classic comedy ''Moll'' is at the Gaiety Theatre on South King Street until Aug. 14 with Frank Kelly and Maureen Toal. Performances are nightly except Sunday at 8. Tickets, $13.65 to $20.80; (353-1) 677-1717.

An Antiques and Collectibles Fair, with prints, porcelain, silver and vintage linens, runs in St. Stephen's Green on Aug. 1, 22 and 29 and Sept. 5 and 19 from 11 A.M. to 6 P.M. at Newman House, 85 St. Stephen's Green, (353-1) 670-8295.

Sightseeing

Ceol, a visitor attraction at Smithfield Village, a new residential and commercial development off Arran Quay, (353-1) 817-3820, tells the history of Irish music in an impressive modern setting. Children will enjoy the many interactive exhibits, including the chance to dance a jig in front of large screens showing dance videos. Open Monday through Saturday 9:30 A.M. to 6 P.M., Sunday 10:30 A.M. to 6 P.M. Admission is $5.10 for adults, $3.90 for children 7 to 12.

The Musical Pub Crawl leaves from Oliver St. John Gogarty's at 52 Fleet Street in Temple Bar nightly at 7:30 from the first Friday in May through the last Saturday in October. Two musicians perform songs and give an overview of Irish musical history during a two-and-a-half-hour tour of four pubs. In November, February, March and April, the walk takes place on Friday and Saturday only. Tickets are $8.60. More information: (353-1) 478-0193.

The Literary Pub Crawl is led by two actors who perform scenes by Dublin's famous playwrights and novelists. The two-and-a-half-hour walk among four pubs leaves nightly at 7:30 as well as Sundays at noon from The Duke in Duke Street from Easter through Oct. 31. From November to Easter, the walk takes place on Thursday through Sunday evenings as well as Sunday at noon. Tickets are $8.45 and $7.15 for students and seniors. More information: (353-1) 670-5602.

Tickets and information for these and other pub crawls are also available at the Dublin Tourism Center, Suffolk Street (no telephone information; walk-ins only).

The Book of Kells, the intricate illuminated manuscript of the Gospels made around 800, is one of the biggest draws in Dublin. It is displayed in the Old Library at Trinity College, College Green; (353-1) 608-2320, along with exhibits that show how illuminated manuscripts were painstakingly crafted. Open Monday to Saturday 9:30 A.M. to 5 P.M., Sunday from 9:30 A.M. to 4:30 P.M. June to September and noon to 4:30. October to May. Admission is $5.85 for adults, $5.20 for students and senior citizens, free for children under 12.

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On the southeast corner of Merrion Square, Dublin's finest Georgian square, No. 29 Lower Fitzwilliam Street, (353-1) 702-6165, has been restored to its original decor, and looks as it did when it was home to a well-off 18th-century family. Visitation is by guided tour only, which takes about 40 minutes including a saccharine introductory video. Open Tuesday to Saturday 10 A.M. to 5 P.M., Sunday 2 to 5 P.M. Closed Mondays and the two weeks before Christmas. Admission is $3.25, children under 16 free.

Where to Stay

Hotels fill up quickly in Dublin, especially at the lower end of the price scale.

Behind the locked gate of 31 Leeson Close, (353-1) 676-5011, fax (353-1) 676-2929, Noel Comer, his wife, Deirdre, and their dog, Homer, offer a friendly welcome. The guesthouse has a total of 20 rooms, 5 of which are in the basement of two modernized 19th-century coach houses. White brick walls and tile floors contribute to a cozy, informal atmosphere. Across the leafy courtyard is a Georgian townhouse with 15 rooms that fronts on Fitzwilliam Place. Breakfast is served family-style in the upstairs conservatory of the coachhouse. All bedrooms have ensuite bathrooms (though several have showers only, not tubs). Double rooms are either $122 or $143 including a hot breakfast. (Eggs, bacon and sausages or smoked salmon and scrambled eggs are among the choices.)

The seven rooms at the Grey Door, 22-23 Upper Pembroke Street, (353-1) 676-3286, fax (353-1) 676-3287, offer a homey stay in gracious Georgian style, and the hotel dining room is one of Dublin's finest restaurants. In the basement a second restaurant, Pier 32, has a similar menu but a more casual atmosphere, with live Irish music every night. All rooms have bathrooms with both showers and tubs. Doubles are $124 per night Monday through Thursday, $110 per night Friday through Sunday if you stay at least two consecutive nights. On weekdays Continental breakfast is $6.50, hot Irish breakfast $9; on weekends one's choice of breakfast is included in the room rate.

Budget: There are no frills but plenty of character and a friendly welcome at the Clifton Court Hotel, 11 Eden Quay, O'Connell Bridge, Dublin 1; (353-1) 874-3535, fax (353-1) 878-6698, a 30-room guesthouse overlooking the River Liffey. Bathrooms are closet-sized, with showers but no tubs. The bar has Irish music nightly. Doubles are $92 including Continental breakfast; ask about specials for stays of more than one night.

The Townhouse of Dublin, 47-48 Lower Gardiner Street, (353-1) 878-8808, fax (353-1) 878-8787, a guesthouse just north of the river, has 80 rooms. Standard doubles, which have a bathroom shared among four rooms, start at $78; luxury doubles with private bathroom start at $104. Rates include full Irish breakfast. Ask about midweek specials from October to June.

Luxury: Crystal chandeliers and muted elegance abound at the Shelbourne Dublin, a Meridien Hotel, 27 St. Stephen's Green, (353-1) 676-6471, fax (353-1) 661-6006. There are 190 rooms, many of which overlook the Green. Doubles start at $267 plus a 15 percent service charge. Breakfast is extra: $17 (Continental) and $20 (cooked).

Buswells Hotel, Molesworth Street, (353-1) 676-4013, fax (353-1) 676-2090, is near major museums. The recently refurbished 70-room hotel caters to business travelers but has a pleasant old-world feel. Standard doubles are $203 including cooked breakfast.

Dublin restaurants have become increasingly cosmopolitan, but Conrad Gallagher still stands out for his creative Mediterranean-influenced cuisine. His restaurant Peacock Alley, in the Fitzwilliam Hotel, St. Stephen's Green West, (353-1) 478-7037, is white-wall stark with windows overlooking St. Stephen's Green. Entrees include char-grilled guinea fowl with saffron risotto and pan roasted red mullet with eggplant stew and coconut and curry emulsion. Dinner for two with wine, about $155. Lunch and dinner Monday through Saturday, closed Sunday.

Another current hot spot is the casual Mermaid Cafe, 69-70 Dame Street, (353-1) 670-8236. The kitchen produces sophisticated eclectic fare using lots of local ingredients, including chicken and parma ham Kiev with creamed corn or grilled aubergine (eggplant) with ricotta and sweet chili relish. Portions are huge. Dinner for two with wine is about $80. Dinner nightly, lunch Monday to Saturday, brunch on Sunday.

For Irish classics, Gallagher's Boxty House, 20-21 Temple Bar, (353-1) 677-2762, is the place, with fine boxty (stuffed potato pancakes) and hearty stews. It's likely you'll share a long table when it's busy. No reservations, but after 5 P.M. (2 on weekends) you can call for a time to come in. Dinner for two with wine, about $45. Open daily from noon to 11:30 P.M.

Cafe Mao, 2-3 Chatham Row, (353-1) 670-4899, has excellent Asian noodle and rice dishes served beneath Warhol-ish lithographs of the Chairman himself. Start with steamed rice paper trout or glass noodle salad and follow it up with tempura of lemon sole or nasi goreng, an Indonesian rice dish with just the right amount of heat. Dinner for two with wine is about $50. Open daily 10 A.M. to 11 P.M. on weeknights, 11:30 Friday and Saturday, 10 P.M. Sunday.

Families will feel comfortable at Elephant and Castle, 18 Temple Bar, (353-1) 679-3121, a popular diner-style eatery that is a branch of the establishment in New York. The simple but good food is centered on hamburgers, omelets and spicy chicken wings. Dinner for two with wine starts around $45. Open Monday through Friday 8 A.M. to 11:30 P.M., Saturday 10:30 A.M. to 11:30 P.M., Sunday noon to 11:30.

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A version of this article appears in print on July 25, 1999, on Page 5005014 of the National edition with the headline: WHAT'S DOING IN; Dublin. Order Reprints|Today's Paper|Subscribe